Things One Must Keep in Mind Before Visiting the Andamans

With an average humidity of 85 percent and the temperature ranging between 23 to 31 Degree Celsius round the year, the weather doesn’t seem to have much of an effect of change with the change of seasons in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Monsoons here range to last from the months of May to October and November to January. So, the best time to pay a visit to these Islands would be between the months of late September to Early April. But since most of the tourists visit this place in the months of November and (early) february, you might want to go when there are lesser number of tourists visiting the place to find it easy to get hold of various bookings and adventures. Most importantly you need to get your checklist for andaman trip ready.

THE BEST REASON TO VISIT THESE ISLANDS

If you love to spend time in the lap of nature, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are just the right place to expect a serene and peaceful natural environment that has been preserved and respected for years by the residents of the Islands as well as travellers. But if you’re more of a party person and are looking for a place to party with your gang, then we must tell you that this visit will totally fail to fulfil your expectations because that is not what this place offers.

And no, that doesn’t mean that adventures are something that this place lacks. In fact, it is one of the richest natural treasure coves of thrilling and offbeat experiences and adventures like trekking, birding, parasailing, scuba diving, undersea walking and such other sports. Here you can get to visit natural wonders, historical monuments, underwater corals, clean and serene beaches, green tropical islands, vivid wild life and a lot more.

The Andamans are visited by a large number of tourists who come from a varied number of places. And you can rest assured about safety because a major part of Andaman’s revenue is extracted by tourism, therefore, people here make sure that the guests do not incur any inconvenience. It is thus, one of the safest known holiday Destinations in and around India. Known as Mini India, this place is populated by people coming from various parts of India. Hence, we can say that you’ll love to unravel the experience which this place offers with your loved ones like your partner or your family.

PREREQUISITES—THINGS YOU’LL NEED TO TAKE CARE OF BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY VISIT THE ISLANDS

It’s always good to know what you’re going to indulge in rather than regretting that lack of research later. Well, if you’re on this page then a major part of that work has already been dealt with because we have listed here everything that you would want to rather need to know before stepping into this land of peace and serenity which is filled with adventure at the same time.

Another suggestion we have for you is to look up a bit on the internet about the historical facts of this place, something about the History of Indian Independence and other facts which might help you explore this beauty in a much better way. And if you’re booked tour operator there’s not much you can do to change the journey, but you’ll anyway be able to know what you’re doing in a better way.

CURRENCY

This is the first and foremost thing that you need to keep in mind while travelling, not just to Andamans but for that matter, to any nook and corner of the world. As far as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are concerned, the Currency is the Indian Rupee (INR) because this place is an Indian Territory. Here, ATMs are available for all of the major Banks like State Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Syndicate, PNB, etc. However, if these don’t work well for you, you can the currency exchanged at Port Blair.

But while your travel to Havelock and Neil make sure you are carrying cash of your basis needs at least as the place can sometime go off wire putting ATMS on halt.

PERMIT

Since it is an Indian Territory, Citizens of India do not require any special permission to visit these Islands. However, foreigners do require a permit/visa to pay a visit to the Andamans. The permit can easily be acquired from the Airport, the Govt has opened 29 islands of Andaman & Ncobar which are now accessible for foreigners.

APPARELS

It is suggestive to carry more of those skin friendly fabric (like cotton) apparels in light summer friendly hues to help you feel comfortable in that warm and sometimes humid environment. Well, as it is an archipelago of Islands, you will be spending most of the time on the beach, trekking or indulging in water sports which will lead to a good amount of skin tan. In order to avoid that, you can try wearing full sleeved, preferably cotton outfits. But if you are planning to visit this place in the Monsoons or anytime during May to September, you must carry an umbrella and a rain coat with yourself. Never would you experience that kind of an extreme cold weather conditions over here, so it is best that you don’t carry winter wear along with you.

ACCESSORIES

Most of you might be thinking that as to why we have made a separate section as far as accessories are concerned, because they are usually supposed to be chosen differently by different individuals as per their needs and choices. Yes, that’s right to an extent but not always like here, in the case of the Andaman Islands where it becomes indispensable to carry some accessories because of the environment and weather.

Accordingly, some of the must haves are hats, shades (sunglasses), a SPF 30 and above Sunscreen Lotion. And when footwear is concerned, it is preferable to carry flats but any water proof footwear type will work just as fine. And if you’re planning to explore the experience of trekking in these islands, we suggest you to carry an extra pair of shoes (sport shoes, preferably). And if you forget to carry some, here are a few that you can get in Andaman: mosquito repellent (cream, lotion and device) and hats.

Be a bagpacker or a family holidays,make sure you make all the travel bookings well in advance from the day of departure because getting it done in the end will be a greater hassle. Very seldom the weather conditions or some kind of a technical failure may result into the inability of the ship to depart at the scheduled time. So, if you’re planning to explore shipping to travel to the Andamans, make sure you book the tickets beforehand as the reservations might get full and you may not get a booking. As of now, the ships available sail only once every week. As far as Railway Reservations are concerned, you can get that done from the Railway Reservation Counter at Port Blair. We suggest that you get the bookings done about around three months before you plan of actually going there, in order to save money.

DOCUMENTS

Passport, Visa (for foreigners), Credit and Debit/ATM Cards and Driving License are some of the most important and inevitable documents that one needs to carry on their trip to the Andamans. If you’re a citizen of India then you won’t need a Visa to visit this place, instead we suggest you to carry your Identity Proofs like Aadhar Card, PAN Card or your Voter ID so you don’t get into any issues related to lack of ID Proofs, later on.

JOURNEY BY THE SEA

If you have a problem of motion sickness then journey by the sea might be a bit of a problem and so some of the tips that we are going to mention might serve to come in handy for you. In such a situation it is advisable to omit travelling by the ship and other modes of water transport during the months of April, May and June, as the sea is known to be rough during these months. Unless you’re an avid water transport traveller, you must not take your body and health for granted as 3 days of rolling and pitching can lead to motion sickness setting in your mind and body even if you haven’t suffered from it before.

Take proper consultancy from your doctor and get yourself a medical prescription for motion sickness remedy if you already suffer from something of that sort. If yes, remember to consume those pills (anti-motion sickness pills) at least half an hour before you board the ship or else follow the dosage schedule as per your doctor’s suggestions. These are taken before you give your journey a headstart because they don’t seem to work well if taken after you actually start to feel that motion sickness settling in.

For those suffering from such a problem, it is suggestive for you to carry these medicines not only on the ship but also while you’re exploring the islands. For any other medical help while on the ship, you can take help from the Doctor that is available on every ship (and that does not need you to pay anything extra).

HEALTH

Malaria, Stomach Ailments, Bronchial Asthma and some Respiratory infections are some of the most commonly found diseases that the residents of Andaman suffer from. It is therefore, that we have a list of precautions that are indispensable if you want your journey to the Andamans to be a safe and healthily sound one.

You must be aware of the fact that speciality Doctors in the fields of Neurology, Cardiology, etc. are present in a very limited number in the Andamans.

If you’re already suffering from a medical ailment or something that is of a permanent type, you must carry all your medical records, if not as a hard copy then a soft copy would be a better option as you’re travelling.

Women who are in the phase of their pregnancy should totally avoid water sports and any adventure related to the sea and waters.

Asthma Patients must carry their prescribed medicines as well as prescriptions along with them

People suffering from Chronic Diseases like Hypertension, Diabetes and other conditions like those of Cardiac Illness are suggested or rather must avoid activities like Scuba Diving, Sea Walking, Snorkelling, etc. But if you still wish to explore these adventures, make sure you first seek permission for the same from a doctor and commit these only if allowed by a medical practitioner.

If you witness some spots of blood along with your cough, do not take your health for granted and ignore that. It is one of the major symptoms of Andaman Fever another name for which is Leprospirosis and is a deadly fever. So, you must consult a doctor immediately if the symptoms are visible. All local Hospitals (in Andaman) are capable of curing this disease.

Prophylactic Anti-malarial drugs should only be consumed once consulted about the same from the doctor and that too if you plan to stay in the islands for a longer duration. Though local doctors usually prescribe and advise an intake of ‘Chloroquine’ and ‘Mefloquine’ once every week for prophylaxis (chemoprophylaxis), it is better to actually go and consult them at first and then consume the medicines that have been prescribed. However, the dosage of these drugs is very minimal and if consumed should be taken once a week only. And if you take these, the drug for Prophylaxis must be taken for at least 2 weeks after you are back home.

You must avoid drinking water which has not been purified, especially water from streams, fall, rivers and other water bodies as that may cause great damage to your health.

This was all that you must necessarily know or the checklist for andaman trip before you step into the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Hope we were of some help to add to the essence of your journey. Have a safe a happy one!